Car-coupling



(No Model.)

O 12 IV- mm I!lllllllllllmnmml... i 9 mm lim. W I

Warren Starts Parent Orricn.

JAMES ALLISON, OF XENIA, OHIO.

CAR=COU PLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 395,107, dated December 25, 1888.

Application filed April 6,

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JAMES E. ALLISON, of Xenia, in the county of Greene and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Oar-Couplings, of which the following is such a full, clear, and exact de scription as will enable any one skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification.

My invention relates to an automatic carcoupling having a free tilting coupling-link riding on a fulcrum within the mouth of the draw-head, the link being coupled and locked within the head by an automaticallylocking couplin g-link latch normally held forcibly depressed. by a spring, and at the same time the link is adjustable relative to the horizontal by means of a hand device which engages the link and exten ds laterally from the draw-h ead to remote points at the sides of the car, from where it. may be manipulated to effect the requisite adjustment of the link to accommodate the relative height of a coupling on an abutting car. The same hand device by which the link is adjusted is by a different 1nanipulation employed to uncouple the link for detaching a car by unlatching the pivoted springacted eouplinglatch, which is constructed so as to be capable of being moved endwise on its length in order to allow the outer end of the latch to take against an abutment in the head to relieve the pivotal joint of the latch from any undue stress, which would otherwise be imposed upon it whenever the link should be tugged or pulled upon, the objects of my invention being to pro vide an efficient automatically-locking carcoupling the free tilting link of which may be readily adjusted horizontally, or maybe quickly uncoupled by an operator standing 5 at the side of the train without necessitatin his entering or reaching between the cars,

and thus to render the work of the train-ban d safer in this usually dangerous operation. In

addition to these advantages my improved coupling has the virtue of comprising but a few strong parts, which are not liable to be deranged or ruptured by the forcible union of the couplings in connectin g up the ears, there 1888. $erial No. 269,818. (No model.)

me, with the knowledge, however, that such I form may be modified without departing from the spirit of the invention.

I11 the accompanying drawings, illustrating my invention, Figure l is a top view of a coupling embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section taken through the plane indicated by line 2 2 in 1. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section similar to that in Fig. 2, but with the movable parts thereof'shown as shifted into different positions. Fig. at is a perspeei ive view of part of the end of an ordinary box-car, upon which is shown mounted in operative position my coupling, the rockshaft of which shown complete, with the handles at the respective ends thereof. Fig. 5 is a modified form of coupling-latch having endwise play.

Referring to the drawings, 6 designates a draw-head having the longitudinal axial recess 7, into the fore end of which opens the mouth 8, designed for the introduction into the head of the couplinglink 9. In the upper part of the head is formed a longitudinal slot, 10, in which is pivotally swung the coup ling-latch ll, having the hook 12 at its head. or outer end. consists in the two ears 1.3 '13, which are loca ted upon the upper side of the head upon the edges of the slot 10 and opposite to each other, and. in these cars are out similar horizontal slots, 1% 14, arranged in opposite alignment, so that the pivot-piu 15, which is secured through the lug 16 on the back of the latch, may have its respective ends ride freely in the slots as bearings therefor, and at the same time be permitted to move back and forth therein, so to allow the latch to be moved endwise on its length. This construction. of the pivotal joint allows the latch to be advanced endwise, in. an obvious manner, whenever the locked link is drawn upon, so that the outer end of the latch may rest against the abutment 17, located at the end of the slot 10 in the fore upper part of thelhe pivotal joint of the latch head. This serves to take any undue stress off of the pivot-joint, as would be the case did not the latch have sufficient endwise play to allow its end to move into close contact with the abutment.

Ihave shown in Fig. 5 a construction wherein the coupling-latch ll is composed of a bar pivoted on the pin 15, which is preferably mounted as in the other construction, and this bar carries at its end the hook 12, which is an ordinary coupling-pin curved so that the entering link may easily trip the latch and that it may have a solid bearing against the fulcrum or lower abutm cut, 25, as well as against the upper abutment, 17.

The coupling-latch is so hinged that it will gravitate into its lower and normal position and automatically lock the entered link when tripped thereunder; but to insure a positive locking action, in order to securely confine the link in the head whether the same be uniting two couplings or be idle, I provide the'latch with a spring, 18, at its rear end, the spring being secured by the screw 1.) to the head and having its free end taking under the end of the latch.

Directly beneath the coupling-latch and within the recess of the head operates the eam'or projection 20, which is fast upon the rock-shaft 21, extending through the head and projecting laterally from each side thereof out to the extreme sides of the car-body 22, upon which it is mounted in the bearings 23 so as to rock therein. At each end of the rock-shaft is attached a handle, 24., to be grasped by the operator to rock the connected shaft. Obviously the rocking of the shaft in one direction will cause the cam to turn in the direction of the hands of a clock, thereby engaging and raising the latch against the action of its spring, as shown in Fig. 3, and witlnlrawing the hook thereof from across the mouth of the head, leavin an open passage through which the link 9 may be readilywithdrawn. I think it well to have the positions of the high part of the cam and the axis of the handles so related in the angle they make with each other that when the latch is down the high part of the cam will be in contact therewith, or nearly so, and the handles will be a little out of the horizontal, so as to be in convenient positions to be seized by the operator.

The coupling-link 9 is designed to lie within the mouth 8 and to ride free on the ridge or lower abutment, 25, as a fulcrum. The link being free-that is, not permanently attached to any part of the mechanism-it will ride on the fulcrum in the vertical and may be easily tilted relative to the horizontal, so as to have its outer end adjusted to accommodate the height of another coupling on an abutting car. The adjustment of the link is effected by the projection or cam 20,Which will obviously engage and bear down upon the inner end of the link, as shown,in broken lines in Fig. 2,

when the rock-shaft is rocked in the opposite direction to the movement of hands of a clock. The link while securely locked is still capable of being freely adjusted by the hand device from either side of the car. In case the hand device should fail in raising the latch for uncoupling, a hook maybe inserted in the eye 26, formed on the back of the latch, to raise the same.

My improved coupling may readily be coupled with the link carried by most ordinary couplin As thelink enters the mouth, it is guided thereby onto the head of the coupling-latch, and, colliding therewith, elevates the same, and the link passing thereunder the latch then resumes the normal lower position and automatically locks the link against withdrawal. The link may then be uncoupled by the manipulation of the hand device, as before described.

Having thus described my llllljHOVQlllGlltS in car-couplings, what l claim as my invention is 1. The combination, with a recessed drawhead provided with a mouth for receiving a link, of a spring-acted coupling-latch pivoted in the head with the hook thereof sweeping across the mouth of the head and normally held down thereacross, so as to automatically lock the entered link, a fulcrum within the mouth for a coupling-link to ride on, and a rock-shaft extending through the head and provided with a projection or cam within the head acting to engage and elevate the latch against the action. of the spring to release a link or to engage and depress the inner end of an. entered link to adjust the same according to the direction of rotation of the rockshaft, si'ibstantially as described.

2. The combination, with a car and a recessed d raw-l1ead mounted thereon and formed with a mouth to receive a link, of an adjustable coupling-link tilting within the mouth and provided with a fulcrum, a slot in the upper side of the head communicating with the recess thereof, and a spring-acted coupling latch pivoted in the slot, so as to be capable of endwise movement, and with the hook thereof sweeping across the mouth of the head, an abutment in the forward part of the head for the latch to take against when drawn upon, a rock-shaft provided with. handles and extending laterally through the head and proj ecting to the sides of the car, and a projection or cam fixed to the rock-shaft within the head and acting to engage and elevate the latch or to engage and depress the inner end of the link, substantially as described.

The combination, with the draw-head 6, formed with the recess 7 and provided with the mouth 8, and the slot 10, cut in. the top of the head, and the abutment 17, of the automatically-locking spring-acted coupling-latch 11, having the hook 12 for engaging a link and pivoted in the slot 10, and capable of movin g endwise, and the rock-shaft 21, extending through the head and provided with the cam 20 Within the head for engaging and lifting the latch, substantially as described.

+L. The combination, with the draw-head 6, formed with the recess 7 and provided with the mouth 8, the fulcrum 2, and the slot 10,

' formed in the top of the head, and the abutnlent 17 of the coupling-link 9, the automatically-locking coupling-latch 11, provided with the hook 12 and pivoted in the slot 10 by the pivot-pin 15, and capable of endwise movement, the spring 18, engaging the latch, the rock-shaft 21, extending through the head 

